THE PAY OF TEACHERS.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 875, 22 July 1910, Page 5

THE PAY OF TEACHERS.

AND THE DEPARTMENT'S AIMS. (By Telegraph—Press Association.) Duicdin, July 21. In the course of a summary of tJbfe year's work of . the Otago Education Board, the Hon. T. Fergus referred pointedly to teachers' emoluments and the difficulty of giving adequate promotion to teachers who had spent their lives in the back-blocks. He said that, of recent years, teachers' emoluments had been pretty largely increased, but, even yet, they are by no means on a-par with the salaries paid in other branches of the Civil Sen-ice. He- added: In charge of schools wo have 72 teachers receiving a salary of JE9O to ,£1(10, 46 from ,£loo' to .£l2O, 90 from £120 to £150, 38 from £150 to £165, 17 from £166 to £180, 60 from £181 to £210, 24 from £211 to £210, 1G from £230 to' £270, 15 from £271 to £310, and 17 salaries over £310. In the lower scale there are no males in charge of .schools receiving less than £120, but 118 female teachers are receiving the lower pay. There are 80 males receiving salaries of from £120 to £150, and house allowance or accommodation is given to various teachers, but, even then, if you take any other branch of the Civil Service you will find the conditions very much better." Mr. Fergus also referred to the difficulty experienced in giving adequate promotion to many teachers who had spent a great portion of their lives in the backblocks. He said that he would bo pleased, if some automatic system of promotion could be arranged, but he sawvery many difficulties in the way. Referring to the proposed changes in the administration of education, Mr. Fergus said "I view with considerable disnuiet the proposals foreshadowed in the Financial Statement, and also the indications which have been given by the Minister for Education and others of proposed changes in the educational administration. The idea of abolishing education boards, and putting the administration in the hands of municipalities or reformed county councils is one which will require a considerable degree of thought before it could bo made workable. I do not think it is feasible. Underlying this, in my mind, is the aim which the Department lias always had of bringing inspection entirely under central control. This doubtless would be followed by the appointment of teachers being ccntralised. and the only thing which the local bodies chanted with the administration of education wonld have to do would be to provide money for the upkeep of schools, an'd for the cleaning out of same. I say, and I think von' will agree with me. that the cost thrown on the rates of local bodies, especially in sparsely situated districts, is a burden too great to be borne, and. if we are further to add to them, then the disabilities of country settlers will bo great- I ly increased."